Contents copy managing system and method thereof, information processing device and method thereof, server, and storing medium

ABSTRACT

A calculator system for performing duplication of contents does not necessarily perform screening, i.e., electronic watermark detection, rather, contents copy control information can be obtained otherwise. For example, in the event of copying a CD regarding which it is known beforehand that there is no electronic watermark inserted in the contents, the electronic watermark detection processing itself can be skipped as long as the CD can be confirmed to be such, thereby reducing the amount of time necessary for copying. Electronic watermark inspecting processing with heavy computation loads is performed vicariously for judging whether or not duplication of contents is permissible.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority from Japanese ApplicationNos. P2000-162319 filed May 31, 2000 and P2001-103153 filed Apr. 2,2001, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by referenceherein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to electronic watermarkingtechnology for embedding information in contents such as images ormusic, in a practically visually or audibly indiscernible manner, andparticularly relates to electronic watermark inspecting technology forinspecting electronic watermarks embedded in various types of contentssuch as pictures, music, broadcast programs, and so forth.

[0003] More specifically, the present invention relates to electronicwatermark inspecting technology for judging whether or not makingduplicates of contents is permissible according to the results ofinspections of electronic watermarks embedded in contents, andparticularly relates to electronic watermark inspecting technologywherein electronic watermark inspecting processing with heavycomputation loads is performed vicariously.

[0004] A copyright is a relative exclusive right to the use ofcopyrighted material, and is a type of intangible property rights. Theterm “copyrighted material” as used here refers to creative expressionsof ideas or emotions, pertaining to the realms of literature, science,art, or music. Copyrights are protected by the copyright laws in eachnation, and by international treaties such as the Berne Convention forthe Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the Universal CopyrightConvention, and so forth. For example, digitized text, computerprograms, digitized music contents, picture contents, broadcast programcontents, and like media are also copyrighted material, and should beappropriately protected under copyright laws.

[0005] It is extremely rare that only the copyright holder ofcopyrighted material exercises use thereof, usually the copyright holdergives permission for another party to use the copyrighted material, fora set price. Accordingly, in order to guarantee protection ofcopyrights, it becomes necessary to prevent unauthorized use ofcopyrighted material by others such as making duplicates of thecopyrighted material without permission.

[0006] The history of copyright protection dates back to the 15thcentury, and is said to have originated with the invention of the art ofprinting. However, the tremendous advancements in electric andelectronic arts in recent years has facilitated duplication ofcopyrighted material, and accordingly the state of matters regardingcopyrights has been constantly changing.

[0007] Duplicating or tampering with data or contents in digital formatis extremely easy, to the extent that it may be said that such data orcontents are nakedly exposed to the danger of copyright infringement.Accordingly, simply making copyright laws or other such legalrestrictions tougher is insufficient, and there seems to be a need tosupport authorized use of copyrighted material of eliminate unauthorizeduse thereof from a technological perspective, thereby increasingprotection of copyrights.

[0008] One example of means for combating unauthorized copying in thefield of digital contents is the “electronic watermark” technology, alsoknown as “digital watermarking” or “data hiding”. An “electronicwatermark” means embedding information in contents such as images ormusic in a practically visually or audibly indiscernible manner (e.g.,see “Data Hiding Technology supporting Electronic Watermarking (parts 1and 2), carried in the Feb. 24 and Mar. 10, 1997, issues of NikkeiElectronics).

[0009] For example, in 1998, a group centered around major USA recordcompanies established a forum called SDMI (Secure Digital MusicInteractive). SDMI stipulates a function called “screening”, as a systemfor protecting copyrights with portable music players. Screeningconsists of a system for inspecting on a memory recorder of a portabledevice whether or not copying of the contents is permissible or not, andan agreement has already been reached to use electronic watermarking.Electronic watermarking can be used to screen such that no more copiescan be made from contents illegitimately distributed or from contentsalready copied once (or a predetermined number of times), for example.

[0010]FIG. 1 illustrates a function block diagram for performingscreening processing as envisioned by SDMI. As shown in the figure,music contents read from recording media such as a CD or MD, of musiccontents received via communication medium, is first subjected toscreening (i.e., inspected for electronic watermark), thereby checkingwhether or not copying thereof is permissible, following which thecontents are subjected to compression enciphering with a system calledLCM (Licensed SDMI Compliant Module) and then copied to the portabledevice (PD). The term “portable device” here refers to a portabledevice/player having functions of expanding and deciphering thecompressed and enciphered contents, and playing the contents.

[0011] A screening processing system such as shown in FIG. 1 isinstalled in a calculator system such as a personal computer forexample, and is connected with the portable device via, for example,general-purpose bus cables such as ilink or USB (Universal Serial Bus),or near-range wireless data communication such as IrDA (Infrared DataAssociation) or Bluetooth technology.

[0012] Electronic watermarking is an art of inserting additional data inmusic contents to a degree that the additional data is not audiblyperceivable, and generally, around 12 bits of data can be inserted in aperiod of around 15 seconds.

[0013] However, there is a problem in that detecting electronicwatermarks is computation-intensive, thereby requiring time. Forexample, attempting to detect electronic watermarks throughout theentire music contents would require ⅓ to ½ of the actual playing time ofthe music.

[0014] Now, studying an arrangement wherein the above screeningprocessing is installed in a personal computer and music contents arecopied from a CD to a portable device, this comprises the followingprocesses:

[0015] (1) Data is read out from the CD, and is copied to a hard disk asa WAV format (or other format) file.

[0016] (2) The WAV file is inspected, to detect electronic watermarksfrom the entire music data.

[0017] (3) In the event that copy forbidding information of “No MoreCopy” is detected from the electronic watermark, copy processing of themusic contents is terminated at that point. On the other hand, in theevent that such copy forbidding information is not detected, thedetecting processing is continued to the end of the music piece, and inthe event that such copy forbidding information is not detected to thevery end, the flow proceeds to the subsequent step (4).

[0018] (4) The WAV file is subjected to bandwidth compression by ATRAC3(Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 3), for example.

[0019] (5) The data subjected to bandwidth compression is enciphered,and temporarily copied onto a hard disk.

[0020] (6) The compressed and enciphered file on the hard disk istransferred to the portable device.

[0021] Here, despite the fact that screening an attempted copy from aconventional CD to which no watermark has been inserted is meaningless,all data is consequently checked in the above step (3), taking extratime for detecting. This would be very unhandy in the event that theuser is attempting to hurriedly copy a favorite piece of music from a CDto a portable device before leaving home, for example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The present invention has been made in light of the aboveproblems and, accordingly, it is an object of the present invention toprovide an excellent electronic watermark detecting technology capableof detecting electronic watermarks embedded in contents.

[0023] It is another object of the present invention to provide anexcellent electronic watermark detecting technology capable of judgingwhether duplication of contents is permissible according to detectedelectronic watermarks embedded in the contents.

[0024] It is a further object of the present invention to provide anexcellent electronic watermark detecting technology capable ofvicariously performing electronic watermark inspecting processing withheavy computation loads so as to judge whether or not duplication ofcontents is permissible, thereby reducing the time required for theoverall copying operation.

[0025] To this end, according to a first aspect of the presentinvention, a system for managing the copying of contents to externalequipment consists of a first reader operable to read in contents to becopied; a second reader operable to read in identification informationof the contents; a database storing information regarding whethercopying is permissible for each of the contents; an electronic watermarkinspecting unit operable to inspect electronic watermarks inserted intothe contents and to produce inspection results; and a controlleroperable to control copying of the contents to the external equipment;wherein the controller searches the database based on at least one ofthe identification information and attribute information of thecontents, and in the event that a matching record exists, controlscopying according to the content of the matching record, and in theevent that a matching record does not exist, controls copying accordingto the inspection results.

[0026] The controller may compress and encipher the contents and thencopy the contents to the external equipment. The controller and thedatabase are preferably connected via a safe communication path whichcan be established via procedures of, for example, electronicverification and key exchange.

[0027] The system may further include an obtaining unit operable toobtain the attribute information of the contents. In such a case, theattribute information may be data comprising at least a part of thecontents that has been clipped, or may be a hash value for at least apart of the contents. Or, the attribute information may be acharacteristic value or a characteristic quantity relating to thecontents, such as contents envelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm,the manner in which a spectrum expands, or the like.

[0028] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a methodfor managing copying of contents to external equipment consists ofreading in contents to be copied; reading in identification informationof the contents; maintaining a database of information regarding whethercopying is permissible for each of the contents; searching the databasebased on at least one of the identification information and attributeinformation of the contents; and, in the event that a matching recordexists in the database, controlling copying according to the contents ofthe matching record, and in the event that a matching record does notexist in the database, inspecting the contents for an electronicwatermark inserted therein to produce inspection results, andcontrolling copying according to the inspection results.

[0029] In the copy control step, the contents may be compressed andenciphered and then copied to the external equipment.

[0030] Also, the database searching step is preferably performed via asafe communication path which can be established via procedures of, forexample, electronic verification and key exchange.

[0031] The method according to the second aspect of the presentinvention may further include obtaining the attribute information of thecontents to be copied. In such a case, the attribute information may bedata comprising at least a part of the contents that has been clipped,or a hash value for at least a part of the contents. Or, the attributeinformation may be a characteristic value or a characteristic quantityrelating to the contents, such as contents envelope values, cyclesequivalent to rhythm, the manner in which a spectrum expands, or thelike.

[0032] According to a third aspect of the present invention, aninformation processing device for executing copying of contents toexternal equipment includes a first reader operable to read in contentsto be copied; a second reader operable to read in identificationinformation of the contents; an electronic watermark inspecting unitoperable to inspect electronic watermarks inserted into the contents andto produce inspection results; and a controller operable to communicatewith an external server and to control copying of the contents to theexternal equipment; wherein the controller makes inquiry to the externalserver based on at least one of the identification information andattribute information of the contents, and, according to the inquiryresults, either executes copying of the contents, or inspects thecontents with the electronic watermark inspecting unit and controlscopying according to the inspection results.

[0033] The controller may compress and encipher the contents and thencopy the contents to the external equipment. Also, the connectionbetween the controller and the external server is preferably made via asafe communication path which can be established via procedures of, forexample, electronic verification and key exchange.

[0034] The information processing device according to the third aspectof the present invention may further include an obtaining unit operableto obtain the attribute information of the contents. In this case, theattribute information may be data comprising at least a part of thecontents that has been clipped, or may be a hash value for at least apart of the contents. Or, the attribute information may be acharacteristic value or a characteristic quantity relating to thecontents, such as contents envelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm,the manner in which a spectrum expands, or the like.

[0035] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a methodfor executing copying of contents to external equipment includes readingin contents to be copied; reading in identification information of thecontents; making inquiry to an external server based on at least one ofthe identification information and attribute information of thecontents; and, according to the inquiry results, either copying thecontents, or inspecting the contents for an electronic watermarkinserted therein to produce inspection results, and controlling copyingaccording to the inspection results.

[0036] In the copy control step, the contents may be compressed andenciphered and then copied to the external equipment.

[0037] Also, the inquiry to the external server is preferably made via asafe communication path which can be established via procedures of, forexample, electronic verification and key exchange.

[0038] The information processing method according to the fourth aspectof the present invention may further include obtaining the attributeinformation of the contents to be copied. In such a case, the attributeinformation may be data comprising at least a part of the contents thathas been clipped, or may be a hash value for at least a part of thecontents. Or, the attribute information may be a characteristic value ora characteristic quantity relating to the contents, such as contentsenvelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm, the manner in which aspectrum expands, or the like.

[0039] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a serverfor managing copying of contents consists of a database which can besearched based on at least one of identification information andattribute information for contents; a receiver operable to receiveinquiries regarding whether copying of the contents is permitted;searching means for searching the database in response to the inquiriesto obtain search results; and a transmitter operable to transmit thesearch results to inquiring parties.

[0040] With the server according to the fifth aspect, the transmitterpreferably transmits the search results to the inquiring parties via asafe communication path which can be established via procedures of, forexample, electronic verification and key exchange.

[0041] The attribute information may be data comprising at least a partof the contents that has been clipped, or may be a hash value for atleast a part of the contents. Or, the attribute information may be acharacteristic value or a characteristic quantity relating to thecontents, such as contents envelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm,the manner in which a spectrum expands, or the like.

[0042] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a recordingmedium is recorded with a computer readable program for managing copyingof contents to external equipment. The program includes reading incontents to be copied; reading in identification information of thecontents; obtaining attribute information of the contents; maintaining adatabase of information regarding whether copying is permissible for thecontents; searching the database based on at least one of theidentification information and the attribute information; and, in theevent that a matching record exists in the database, controlling copyingaccording to the content of the matching record, and, in the event thata matching record does not exist in the database, inspecting thecontents for an electronic watermark therein to produce inspectionresults, and controlling copying according to the inspection results.

[0043] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, arecording medium is recorded with a computer readable program forexecuting copying of contents to external equipment. The programincludes reading in contents to be copied; reading in identificationinformation of the contents; obtaining attribute information of thecontents; making inquiry to an external server based on at least one ofthe identification information and the attribute information of thecontents; and, according to the inquiry results, either copying thecontents, or inspecting the contents for an electronic watermarkinserted therein to produce inspection results, and controlling copyingaccording to the inspection results.

[0044] The recording medium according to the sixth and seventh aspectsof the present invention is a medium for providing the program in acomputer readable format to a general purpose computer system capable ofexecuting various types of program code. The medium is a detachable andportable storing medium, such as a CD (Compact Disk), FD (Floppy Disk),MO (Magneto-Optical disk), or the like. Also, it is technologicallypossible to supply the program to a particular computer system via acommunication path, such as a network (whether wireless or otherwise).

[0045] Such a recording medium defines a structural or functionalcooperative relationship between the program and the storing medium forrealizing the functions of the particular program on the computersystem. In other words, installing a particular program in the computersystem via the recording medium according to the sixth and seventhaspects of the present invention manifests the cooperative actionthereof on the computer system, thereby obtaining the same operationsand advantages as the contents copy managing system and method, and theinformation processing device and method, according to the first throughfourth aspects of the present invention.

[0046] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a systemfor managing copying of contents to external equipment consists of afirst reader operable to read in contents to be copied; a second readeroperable to read in identification information of the contents; adatabase storing information regarding whether copying is permissiblefor each of the contents; an electronic watermark inspecting unitoperable to inspect electronic watermarks inserted into the contents andto produce inspection results; an orthogonal conversion unit operable toperform orthogonal conversion of the contents to produce convertedresults; an encoding compression unit operable to subject the convertedcontents to quantization and Huffman encoding to produce encoded andcompressed contents; an enciphering unit operable to encipher theencoded and compressed contents to produce enciphered contents; and acontroller operable to control copying of the enciphered contents to theexternal equipment; wherein the controller searches the database basedon at least one of the identification information and an orthogonalconversion value of the contents or a hash value thereof, and, in theevent that a matching record exists, controls copying of the encipheredcontents according to the content of the matching record, and, in theevent that a matching record does not exist, controls copying of theenciphered contents according to the inspection results. “Orthogonalconversion” as referred to herein includes, for example, mDCT (ModifiedDiscrete Cosine Transform), DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform), Wavelet (awaveform analyzing technology developed by Summus Limited of the USA),and so forth.

[0047] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a methodfor managing copying of contents to external equipment includes readingin contents to be copied; reading in identification information of thecontents; performing orthogonal conversion of the contents to produceconverted contents; subjecting the converted contents to quantizationand Huffman encoding to produce encoded and compressed contents;enciphering the encoded and compressed contents to produce encipheredcontents; maintaining a database of information regarding whethercopying is permissible for each of the contents; searching the databasebased on at least one of the identification information and anorthogonal conversion value of the contents or a hash value thereof;and, in the event that a matching record exists in the database,controlling copying of the enciphered contents according to the contentof the matching record, and, in the event that a matching record doesnot exist in the database, inspecting the contents for an electronicwatermark inserted therein to produce inspection results, andcontrolling copying of the enciphered contents according to theinspection results.

[0048] According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, aninformation processing device for executing copying of contents toexternal equipment consists of a first reader operable to read incontents to be copied; a second reader operable to read inidentification information of the contents; an electronic watermarkinspecting unit operable to inspect electronic watermarks inserted intothe contents and to produce inspection results; an orthogonal conversionunit operable to perform orthogonal conversion of the contents toproduce converted contents; an encoding compression unit operable tosubject the converted contents to quantization and Huffman encoding toproduce encoded and compressed contents; an enciphering unit operable toencipher the encoded and compressed contents to produce encipheredcontents; and a controller operable to control copying of the encipheredcontents to the external equipment; wherein the controller makes inquiryto an external server based on at least one of the identificationinformation and an orthogonal conversion value of the contents or a hashvalue thereof, and, according to the inquiry results, either copies theenciphered contents, or controls copying of the enciphered contentsaccording to the inspection results.

[0049] According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, aninformation processing method for executing copying of contents toexternal equipment consists of reading in contents to be copied; readingin identification information of the contents; performing orthogonalconversion of the contents to produce converted contents; subjecting theconverted contents to quantization and Huffman encoding to produceencoded and compressed contents; enciphering the encoded and compressedcontents to produce enciphered contents; making inquiry to an externalserver based on at least one of the identification information and anorthogonal conversion value of the contents or a hash value thereof;and, according to the inquiry results, either copying the encipheredcontents, or inspecting the contents for an electronic watermarkinserted therein to produce inspection results, and controlling copyingof the enciphered contents according to the inspection results.

[0050] With the present invention, the calculator system for performingduplication of contents does not necessarily perform screening, i.e.,electronic watermark detection, with contents copy control informationbeing obtainable by other means. For example, in the event of copying aCD regarding which it is known beforehand that there is no electronicwatermark inserted in the contents, the electronic watermark detectionprocessing itself can be skipped as long as the CD can be confirmed tobe such, thereby reducing the amount of time necessary for copying.

[0051] That is to say, there is no need to detect electronic watermarksfrom the data, so processing time is reduced and ease of use improves.

[0052] Also, even with cases of detecting electronic watermarks, thereis no need to perform detection over the entirety of the contents (e.g.,music piece), so processing time is reduced and ease of use improves.

[0053] Further objects, characteristics and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following embodiments anddetailed descriptions made with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054]FIG. 1 is a function block diagram for realizing the screeningprocessing envisioned by SDMI;

[0055]FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the overallconfiguration of a contents copy managing system 1 according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0056]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedures forcopying music data on a CD on an information processing terminal 10 to aportable device 20 in the contents copy managing system 1 according to afirst embodiment of the present invention, with the copying beingexecuted at the side of the information processing terminal 10;

[0057]FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedures forcopying music data on a CD on the information processing terminal 10 tothe portable device 20 in the contents copy managing system 1 accordingto the first embodiment of the present invention, with the copying beingexecuted at the side of a server 30;

[0058]FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating another example of theprocessing procedures for copying music data on a CD on the informationprocessing terminal 10 to the portable device 20 in the contents copymanaging system 1 according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention, with the copying being executed at the side of theinformation processing terminal 10;

[0059]FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of theprocessing procedures for copying music data on a CD on the informationprocessing terminal 10 to the portable device 20 in the contents copymanaging system 1 according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention, with the copying being executed at the side of the server 30;

[0060]FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating another example of theprocessing procedures executed on the information processing terminal10, for omitting the electronic watermark detection processing by makinginquiry to a database at the side of the server 30;

[0061]FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating yet another example of theprocessing procedures executed on the information processing terminal10, for omitting the electronic watermark detection processing by makinginquiry to the database at the side of the server 30;

[0062]FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating the overallconfiguration of a contents copy managing system 1-2 wherein data in thebandwidth compression process with LCM can be used as collation datawith the database;

[0063]FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the processing proceduresexecuted by the information processing terminal 10 in the contents copymanaging system 1-2;

[0064]FIG. 11 is a systematic representation of the configuration of acalculator system 100 applicable as the information processing terminal10; and

[0065]FIG. 12 is a systematic representation of the configuration of acalculator system 200 applicable as the server 30.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of thepresent invention, with reference to the drawings.

[0067]FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the overall configuration of acontents copy managing system 1 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0068] This contents copy managing system 1 comprises an informationprocessing terminal 10 for copying contents such as music or the like toa portable device 20, and a server 30 which provides vicarious servicesof electronic watermark detection processing relating to contents forthe information processing terminal 10. The term “portable device” hererefers to a portable device/player having functions of expanding anddeciphering the compressed and enciphered contents, and playing thecontents.

[0069] The information processing terminal 10 is realized by, forexample, starting a predetermined application on a personal computer(PC) within the home (described later). The personal computer is an IBMPC/AT compatible model or a later model thereof, for example.

[0070] Description will proceed under the assumption that theinformation processing terminal 10 performs verification with the server30, and that a safe communication path has been secured.

[0071] The information processing terminal 10 reads out music data froma CD mounted to a CD-ROM drive (not shown), and copies the music data tothe portable device 20.

[0072] The music data read out from the CD is temporarily saved in ahard disk (not shown) as a WAV file.

[0073] Also, at the time of reading out the music data from the CD, anidentification information ISRC (International Standard Recording Code)uniquely appropriated to the music piece is extracted from the TOC(Table of Contents) area.

[0074] SDMI (Secure Digital Music Interactive) stipulates thatscreening, i.e., inspection of electronic watermark information, is tobe performed at the time of copying music data to other devices ormedia, as described above. However, with the present embodiment, theinformation processing terminal 10 makes an inquiry to the server 30before starting the screening processing. The ISRC (or other informationwhereby the contents can be identified) of the music piece to be copiedare included in this inquiry.

[0075] The server 30 manages an electronic watermark informationdatabase regarding each of the music pieces, and can make a search ofthe entry of each of the music pieces with the ISRC. Accordingly, uponreceiving the inquiry from the information processing terminal 10,collation of the entry of the music piece of interest is attempted,based on the ISRC contained in the inquiry. The collation results arethen returned to the information processing terminal 10 which is therequesting party.

[0076] Upon receiving the response to the inquiry, the informationprocessing terminal 10 proceeds with processing according to thecollation results. For example, in the event that the informationprocessing terminal 10 has received results to the effect that the mediadoes not contain an electronic watermark, there is no meaning inscreening, so the electronic watermark detection processing is skipped,and copying of the music contents to the portable device can be started.

[0077] Also, in the event of using the ISRC as described above, there isthe danger that, at the time of reading out the ISRC from the CD-ROMdrive with the information processing terminal 10, the path may betampered with, and the ISRC substituted with another ISRC not containingan electronic watermark (or the ISRC of a CD regarding which it is knownthat copying can be performed) Accordingly, in addition to the ISRC,other information relating to the data contents on the media, such astotal playing time or the like, may be added, thereby eliminating thedanger falsely assumed identity. However, if there is technology whichallows identification information such as ISRC to be safely obtainedfrom the media, there is no need to transmit such attributesinformation.

[0078] Also, clipping a part of the music and sending the data to theserver 30, or further sampling two or more places in the music piece andsending these to the server 30, may be used for collation. Arrangementscan be made wherein the place to be sampled is randomly changed eachtime so that the place to be sampled cannot be specified, therebyeliminating the danger falsely assumed identity.

[0079] Also, direct collation of music samples can lead to relativelygreat amounts of data, thereby increasing the load on communication.Accordingly, an arrangement may be made wherein a hash value of part orall of the music data dearanged is taken, and this value is transferredto the server 30 side for collation, thus confirming whether or notthere is an electronic watermark therein.

[0080] Note that hash functions are used for digital signatures and thelike, and are of a nature such that tampering with a part of the dataput into the hash function greatly changes the results, so prediction ofthe hash function is difficult, and tampering can be readily discovered.Also, hash functions have unidirectional function properties, sotampering to match the results is also difficult. Such hash functionsare a known art.

[0081] Or, techniques may be listed as examples wherein characteristicvalues or characteristic quantities in the music data are computed, andused for collation at the server 30. For example arrangements may bemade wherein data such as envelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm,the manner in which a spectrum expands, or the like may be analyzed, andsuch computation results transferred to the server 30 for collation.

[0082] According to the configuration and operating properties of acontents copy managing system 1 such as shown in FIG. 2, in the event ofcopying music contents from a CD to the portable device 20 with theinformation processing terminal 10, electronic watermark detectionprocessing is skipped for CDs which do not contain electronic watermarksfrom the beginning, so the ease of use thereof increases.

[0083] Next, description will be made regarding the processingprocedures for copying music contents from a CD to the portable device20 with the information processing terminal 10 of the contents copymanaging system 1 according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention. As described above, according to this embodiment, theinformation processing terminal 10 can omit the electronic watermarkdetection processing by making inquiry to the server 30 side database.

[0084]FIG. 3 illustrates the processing procedures executed on theinformation processing terminal 10, in the form of a flowchart. Thefollowing description will be made with reference to this flowchart.

[0085] First, the ISRC or equivalent contents identification informationis obtained from a CD mounted to a CD-ROM drive (not shown) (step S1).

[0086] Generally, a data area such as a TOC is provided on the CD, sothat ISRCs and other contents attributes information can be recorded.The ISRC is unique identification information appropriated to each CDtitle, and is configured of 12 digits of alphanumeric characters.

[0087] Next, desired music piece data is read out from the CD, and iscopied to a hard disk (not shown) within the terminal 10 (step S2).

[0088] Next, the attributes information is obtained from the music pieceon the hard disk (step S3). Attributes information as described here isthe total playing time of the music piece, particular characteristicvalues (quantities) extracted from the music piece by computation, andso forth. Envelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm, the manner inwhich a spectrum expands, and other like analysis values may serve asthe characteristic values. Such attributes information is used assupplementary identification information other than the ISRC, and canprevent falsely assumed identities by unauthorized users. However, if atechnique which allows identification information such as ISRCs to besafely extracted from the media is established, there is no need totransmit attributes information.

[0089] Next, connection is made to the server 30 to which inquiry is tobe made (step S4), and further performing verification and key exchangewith the server 30 (step S5) secures a safe communication path with theserver 30.

[0090] Verification methods using shared keys or public keys can be usedfor the verification, and the protocol thereof has already beenstandardized by ISO (the International Organization forStandardization). At the time of issuing a verification request from onedevice, a random number string is also sent out, and the other devicedeciphers the random number with a predetermined key and replies. At theone device, this is solved using a predetermined key, and checkingwhether or not this matches with the original random number verifieswhether or not the other party has a shared key or a reliable key, or inother words, whether or not the other party is the intended party.

[0091] Following establishing a safe communication path, the informationprocessing terminal 10 transfers the ISRC code read in step S1 and theattributes information obtained in step S3 to the server 30 side, andrequests an investigation of the CD (step S6).

[0092] In response to the CD investigation request, the server 30 sidesearches the database therein based on the ISRC code and judges whetheror not the record exists therein, and further judges whether or not theattributes information matches, and returns the results thereof to theinformation processing terminal 10 (Step S7). The processing performedat the server 30 side will be described later in detail.

[0093] At the information processing terminal 10 side, judgment is maderegarding whether or not copying to the portable device 20 ispermissible or not, based on the response from the server 30 side.

[0094] In the event that the contents of the reply indicate that therecord of interest exists within the database (step S8), this means thatthe CD mounted has been registered to the database and the data insertedby electronic watermark is known, so screening, i.e., the electronicwatermark detection processing, can be omitted. In this case, onlyjudgment whether or not copying is permissible from the CD is performed(steps S9, S10). In the event that the registered CD permits only onecopy to be made, a check should be made in step S9 regarding whether ornot the media mounted is a CD-R.

[0095] In the event that copying is permissible, the flow proceeds tostep S91, performs LCM music piece data compression (bandwidthcompressing by ATRAC3) and enciphering, and then copying to the portabledevice 20 is executed. On the other hand, in the event that copying isnot permissible, the flow proceeds to step S92, and the copying processis cancelled.

[0096] On the other hand, in the event that the judgment in step S8indicates that the record of interest does not exist in the database atthe server 30 side, i.e., that the CD mounted is not a registered CD,there is no other option but to perform screening, i.e., electronicwatermark detection processing (step S13).

[0097] In the event that the results of electronic watermark detectionand of judgment regarding whether or not copying is permissible indicatethat copying is permissible, LCM music piece data compression (bandwidthcompressing by ATRAC3) and enciphering is performed, and copying to theportable device 20 is executed (step S14 R step S11). On the other hand,in the event that copying is not permissible, the flow proceeds to stepS15, and the copying process is cancelled.

[0098] Incidentally, in the event that the CD-ROM drive for reading outthe music data is sufficiently reliable (i.e., such as in cases whereina particular entity certifies a certain level of security, etc.), thesystem even more preferably comprises an arrangement wherein ISRC dataand the fact that the CD is a proper CD can be safely notified, by thedrive and the information processing terminal 10 proper performingverification and key exchange.

[0099] Also, FIG. 4 illustrates the processing procedures executed atthe server 30 side in response to the inquiry from the informationprocessing terminal 10 which performs the processing procedures shown inFIG. 3, in the form of a flowchart. The following description will bemade with reference to this flowchart.

[0100] First, in response to a connection request from a client, i.e.,the information processing terminal 10 (step S21), connection processingis performed (step S22). Further, performing verification and keyexchange with the information processing terminal 10 (step S23) securesa safe communication path with the information processing terminal 10(as described above).

[0101] Next, collation data sent from the information processingterminal 10 is received (step S24). The collation data contains ISRCcode relating to the music piece and attributes data thereof. Attributesinformation as described here is the total playing time of the musicpiece, or particular characteristic values extracted from the musicpiece such as envelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm, the mannerin which a spectrum expands.

[0102] The server 30 checks whether or not an ISRC is contained in thereceived data (step S25), and in the event that an ISRC is containedtherein, searches the database for the ISRC (step S26), and in the eventthat an ISRC is not contained therein, searches the database for a fullmatch, and finds a record wherein attributes information such ascharacteristic values and the like match (step S27).

[0103] Judgment is made whether or not the search of the database hasfound a record from the database which matches the collation data (stepS28).

[0104] In the event that a matching record exists, added data is addedthereto and a reply is made to the information processing terminal 10 tothat effect (step S29). Copy control information (e.g., “copy from CD-Rimpermissible”, etc.) may be included in the added data.

[0105] On the other hand, in the event that a matching record does notexist, and a reply is made to the information processing terminal 10 tothat effect (step S30).

[0106] Then, the connection with the information processing terminal 10is released (step S31), and the entire present processing routine ends.

[0107] With the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the informationprocessing terminal 10 inquires of the server 30 side whether or not theCD mounted is a registered CD, and the information processing terminal10 judges whether or not copying is permissible (steps S9 and S10 inFIG. 3). Conversely, an arrangement may be made wherein the server 30,in response to the inquiry from the information processing terminal 10side, further judges whether or not copying is permissible, and makes areply regarding this.

[0108]FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the processing procedures executed at theinformation processing terminal 10 and the server 30 side in the latterarrangement, in the form of a flowchart. The following description willbe made with reference to these flowcharts.

[0109] At the information processing terminal 10 side, first, the ISRCor equivalent contents identification information is obtained from a CDmounted to a CD-ROM drive (not shown) (step S41).

[0110] Next, desired music piece data is read out from the CD, and iscopied to a hard disk (not shown) within the terminal 10 (step S42).

[0111] Next, the attributes information is obtained from the music pieceon the hard disk (step S43). Attributes information as described here isthe total playing time of the music piece, particular characteristicvalues (quantities) extracted from the music piece by computation, andso forth. Envelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm, the manner inwhich a spectrum expands, and other like analysis values may serve asthe characteristic values. Such attributes information is used assupplementary identification information other than the ISRC, and canprevent falsely assumed identities by unauthorized users. However, if atechnique which allows identification information such as ISRCs to besafely extracted from the media is established, there is no need totransmit attributes information.

[0112] Next, connection is made to the server 30 to which inquiry is tobe made (step S44), and further performing verification and key exchangewith the server 30 (step S45) secures a safe communication path with theserver 30.

[0113] Then, the information processing terminal 10 transfers the ISRCcode and the attributes information to the server 30 side, and requestsjudgment of whether or not copying is permissible (step S46). For thisjudgment, the information processing terminal 10 also transmits alongwith this accompanying information such as whether or not the CD mountedis a CD-R, and so forth.

[0114] In response to the copy permissible/impermissible judgmentrequest, the server 30 side searches the database therein based on theISRC code and judges whether or not the record exists therein, andfurther judges whether or not the attributes information matches, andreturns the results thereof to the information processing terminal 10(Step S47). The processing performed at the server 30 side will bedescribed later in detail.

[0115] At the information processing terminal 10 side, judgment is maderegarding whether or not copying to the portable device 20 ispermissible or not, based on the response from the server 30 side (stepS48).

[0116] In the event that the judgment results of the server 30 are“copying permissible”, the flow proceeds to step S49, performs LCM musicpiece data compression and enciphering, and then copying to the portabledevice 20 is executed.

[0117] On the other hand, in the event that the judgment results of theserver 30 are “copying not permissible”, the flow proceeds to step S50,and the copying process is cancelled.

[0118] Also, in the event that the judgment results of the server 30 are“execute screening”, there is no other option but to perform electronicwatermark detection processing (step S51). In the event that the resultsof electronic watermark detection and of judgment regarding whether ornot copying is permissible indicate that copying is permissible, LCMmusic piece data compression (bandwidth compressing by ATRAC3) andenciphering is performed, and copying to the portable device 20 isexecuted (step S52 R step S49). On the other hand, in the event thatcopying is not permissible, the flow proceeds to step S53, and thecopying process is cancelled.

[0119] On the other hand, in response to a connection request from aclient, i.e., the information processing terminal 10 (step S61),connection processing is performed at the server 30 side (step S62) .Further, performing verification and key exchange with the informationprocessing terminal 10 (step S63) secures a safe communication path withthe information processing terminal 10.

[0120] Next, collation data sent from the information processingterminal 10 is received (step S64) . The collation data contains ISRCcode relating to the music piece and attributes data thereof. Attributesinformation as described here is the total playing time of the musicpiece, or particular characteristic values extracted from the musicpiece such as envelope values, cycles equivalent to rhythm, the mannerin which a spectrum expands. Also, accompanying information such aswhether or not the CD mounted is a CD-R, is received along with this.

[0121] The server 30 checks whether or not an ISRC is contained in thereceived data (step S65), and in the event that an ISRC is containedtherein, searches the database for the ISRC (step S66), and in the eventthat an ISRC is not contained therein, searches the database for a fullmatch, and finds a record wherein attributes information such ascharacteristic values and the like match (step S67).

[0122] Judgment is made whether or not the search of the database hasfound a record from the database which matches the collation data (stepS68).

[0123] In the event that a matching record exists, whether of notcopying is permissible is judged, based on the description within therecord, and so forth (step S69) Also, whether of not copying ispermissible may be judged based on added data such as “whether CD-R ornot” sent from the information processing terminal 10.

[0124] In the event that copying is permissible, “copying permissible”is returned to the information processing terminal 10, and in the eventthat copying is not permissible, “copying not permissible” is returnedthereto (step S72).

[0125] Also, in the event that a matching record does not exist in thedatabase (step S68), omitting of the screening process is not allowedfor the information processing terminal 10, so “execute screening” isreturned to the information processing terminal 10 (step S73).

[0126] Then, the connection with the information processing terminal 10is released (step S71), and the entire present processing routine ends.

[0127]FIG. 7 illustrates the yet another example of processingprocedures executed at the information processing terminal 10 foromitting the electronic watermark detecting processing by making aninquiry to the database at the server 30 side, in the form of aflowchart.

[0128] In the event that only the ISRC is used for collation processingwith the database, there is the danger that, at the time of reading outthe ISRC from the CD-ROM drive with the information processing terminal10, the path may be tampered with, and the ISRC substituted with anotherISRC not containing an electronic watermark (or the ISRC of a CDregarding which it is known that copying can be performed). Accordingly,with the example shown in FIG. 7, collation is made whether or not thisis the CD, by making reference to a part of the music data. Thefollowing description will be made with reference to this flowchart.

[0129] First, the ISRC or equivalent contents identification informationis obtained from a CD mounted to a CD-ROM drive (not shown) (step S81).

[0130] Next, desired music piece data is read out from the CD, and iscopied to a hard disk (not shown) within the terminal 10 (step S82).

[0131] Next, a certain number of seconds of actual data is selected andextracted from the music piece data on the hard disk from one ormultiple random positions, and the data position information (how manybytes from the start, how many seconds into playing time, etc.) of thedata is also obtained, as attributes information (step S83). Theposition for extracting the actual data may be fixed, but preferably israndom in order to eliminate the danger of data substitution byunauthorized users.

[0132] Next, connection is made to the server 30 to which inquiry is tobe made (step S84), and further performing verification and key exchangewith the server 30 (step S85) secures a safe communication path with theserver 30.

[0133] Then, the information processing terminal 10 transfers the ISRCcode read in step S81 and the attributes information obtained in stepS83 to the server 30 side, and requests an investigation of the CD (stepS86).

[0134] In response to the CD investigation request, the server 30 sidesearches the database therein based on the ISRC code and judges whetheror not the record exists therein, and further judges whether or not theattributes information matches, and returns the results thereof to theinformation processing terminal 10 (Step S87). The processing proceduresperformed at the server 30 are the same as that described with referenceto FIG. 4 except that the collation is made with the clipped actual datarather than attributes information, and accordingly description thereofwill be omitted here.

[0135] At the information processing terminal 10 side, judgment is maderegarding whether or not copying to the portable device 20 ispermissible or not, based on the response from the server 30 side.

[0136] In the event that the contents of the reply indicate that therecord of interest exists within the database (step S88), this meansthat the CD mounted has been registered to the database and the datainserted by electronic watermark is known, so screening, i.e., theelectronic watermark detection processing, can be omitted. In this case,only judgment whether or not copying is permissible from the CD isperformed (steps S89, S90). In the event that the registered CD permitsonly one copy to be made, a check should be made in step S89 regardingwhether or not the media mounted is a CD-R.

[0137] In the event that copying is permissible, the flow proceeds tostep S91, performs LCM music piece data compression (bandwidthcompressing by ATRAC3) and enciphering, and then copying to the portabledevice 20 is executed. On the other hand, in the event that copying isnot permissible, the flow proceeds to step S12, and the copying processis cancelled.

[0138] On the other hand, in the event that the judgment in step S88indicates that the record of interest does not exist in the database atthe server 30 side, i.e., that the CD mounted is not a registered CD,there is no other option but to perform screening, i.e., electronicwatermark detection processing (step S93).

[0139] In the event that the results of electronic watermark detectionand of judgment regarding whether or not copying is permissible indicatethat copying is permissible, LCM music piece data compression (bandwidthcompressing by ATRAC3) and enciphering is performed, and copying to theportable device 20 is executed (step S94 R step S91). On the other hand,in the event that copying is not permissible, the flow proceeds to stepS95, and the copying process is cancelled.

[0140]FIG. 8 illustrates the yet another example of processingprocedures executed at the information processing terminal 10 foromitting the electronic watermark detecting processing by making aninquiry to the database at the server 30 side, in the form of aflowchart.

[0141] With the example shown in FIG. 8, reference is made to a hashvalue obtained by subjecting all (or part) of the music piece data to ahash function, thereby performing collation whether or not this is theCD.

[0142] Now, a hash function is used to compress a data string andreplace it with another data string. Generally, hash functions are of anature such that tampering with even a part of the data put into thehash function greatly changes the results, so prediction of the hashfunction is difficult and tampering can be readily discovered, and alsohash functions have unidirectional function properties, so tampering tomatch the results is also difficult, as is publicly known. Currently, analgorithm called SHA-1 is disclosed.

[0143] The following description will be made with reference to theflowchart shown in FIG. 8.

[0144] First, the ISRC or equivalent contents identification informationis obtained from a CD mounted to a CD-ROM drive (not shown) (step S101).

[0145] Next, desired music piece data is read out from the CD, and iscopied to a hard disk (not shown) within the terminal 10 (step S102).

[0146] Next, a hash function is applied to the entire music piece dataon the hard disk and the hash function thereof is calculated, which istemporarily saved as attributes information (step S103).

[0147] Next, connection is made to the server 30 to which inquiry is tobe made (step S104), and further performing verification and keyexchange with the server 30 (step S105) secures a safe communicationpath with the server 30.

[0148] Then, the information processing terminal 10 transfers the ISRCcode read in step S101 and the attributes information obtained in stepS103 to the server 30 side, and requests an investigation of the CD(step S106).

[0149] In response to the CD investigation request, the server 30 sidesearches the database therein based on the ISRC code and judges whetheror not the record exists therein, and further judges whether or not thehash value thereof matches, and returns the results thereof to theinformation processing terminal 10 (Step S107).

[0150] Unlike the example shown in FIG. 7, the example shown in FIG. 8allows inspection of the entire music piece for tampering, since thehash value of the entire data is transmitted to the server 30 forcollation, and thus conformation can be made regarding whether or notthere has been substitution or other like unauthorized processingapplied to the data in the CD. Also, hash values are what aretransmitted, so the communication load for transmitting data for theentire music piece is light. Further, all that is necessary for theserver 30 to store is the hash values, rather than the entire musicpiece, so storage capacity can be conserved. For example, with SHA-1,160 bits of data are output per 512 bits, so the hash value of theentire music piece can be obtained by accumulative calculation thereof.

[0151] At the information processing terminal 10 side, judgment is maderegarding whether or not copying to the portable device 20 ispermissible or not, based on the response from the server 30 side.

[0152] In the event that the contents of the reply indicate that therecord of interest exists within the database (step S108), this meansthat the CD mounted has been registered to the database and the datainserted by electronic watermark is known, so screening, i.e., theelectronic watermark detection processing, can be omitted. In this case,only judgment whether or not copying is permissible from the CD isperformed (steps S109, S110). In the event that the registered CDpermits only one copy to be made, a check should be made in step S109regarding whether or not the media mounted is a CD-R.

[0153] In the event that copying is permissible, the flow proceeds tostep S111, performs LCM music piece data compression (bandwidthcompressing by ATRAC3) and enciphering, and then copying to the portabledevice 20 is executed. On the other hand, in the event that copying isnot permissible, the flow proceeds to step S112, and the copying processis cancelled.

[0154] On the other hand, in the event that the judgment in step S108indicates that the record of interest does not exist in the database atthe server 30 side, i.e., that the CD mounted is not a registered CD,there is no other option but to perform screening, i.e., electronicwatermark detection processing (step S113).

[0155] In the event that the results of electronic watermark detectionand of judgment regarding whether or not copying is permissible indicatethat copying is permissible, LCM music piece data compression (bandwidthcompressing by ATRAC3) and enciphering is performed, and copying to theportable device 20 is executed (step S114 R step S111) . On the otherhand, in the event that copying is not permissible, the flow proceeds tostep S115, and the copying process is cancelled.

[0156] With all of the embodiments described so far, the informationprocessing terminal 10 first confirms that the music piece read in fromthe CD can be copied, and then proceeds to the compression andenciphering of the data contents and the copying process for copying tothe portable device 20. Conversely, an arrangement can be made whereinconfirmation processing of whether or not copying is permissible isperformed as a part of the data contents compression and encipheringprocess.

[0157]FIG. 9 illustrates an example configuration of a contents copymanaging system 1-2 wherein data in the bandwidth compression processwith LCM can be used as collation data with the database, and FIG. 10illustrates the processing procedures executed by the informationprocessing terminal 10 in the contents copy managing system 1-2, in theform of a flowchart.

[0158] The data compression process is generally made up of DCT(Discrete Cosine Transform), quantization, and Huffman encoding. Withbandwidth compression such as MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-III) or ATRAC,mDCT (Modified Discrete Cosine Transform) is used. mDCT is a type oforthogonal conversion, which converts a time-axial area into a frequencyarea. As for other types of orthogonal conversion besides mDCT, thereare DCT, Wavelet (a waveform analyzing technology developed by SummusLimited of the USA), and so forth.

[0159] This contents copy managing system 1-2 is arranged such that theinformation processing terminal 10 obtains the hash value of an mDCTcoefficient generated in the LCM process, which is transferred to theserver 30 side for collation.

[0160] In the event that collation with the database shows that copyingis permissible, compression and enciphering processing is continuedwithout change, and data copying is made to the portable device 20. Onthe other hand, in the event that judgment is made that copying is notpermissible, the flow returns to the screening process and electronicwatermark detection is performed, and whether or not copying ispermissible is judged again based on the detection results thereof.

[0161] According to the present embodiment, the information processingterminal 10 and perform compression of the data to be copied in aparallel manner even without the screening processing being completed,so the overall time required for the copying process is reduced. Also,even in the event that compressed and enciphered data is created forcopying, there is no problem with contents protection so long as thedata is not ultimately copied to the portable device 20 in the eventthat judgment is made that copying is not permissible. Also, data in thecompresses process such as mDCT or the like generally has less dataquantity than PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) data, and accordingly issuitable for collation data.

[0162] The processing procedures executed by the information processingterminal 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown inFIG. 10.

[0163] First, the ISRC or equivalent contents identification informationis obtained from a CD mounted to a CD-ROM drive (not shown) (step S121).

[0164] Next, desired music piece data is read out from the CD, and iscopied to a hard disk (not shown) within the terminal 10 (step S122).

[0165] Next, mDCT is executed as the first step of LCD processing, andthe mDCT coefficient of the music piece data is calculated (step S123).Further, the hash function is multiplied by the mDCT coefficient, andthe hash value thereof is calculated (step S124).

[0166] Next, connection is made to the server 30 to which inquiry is tobe made (step S125), and further performing verification and keyexchange with the server 30 (step S126) secures a safe communicationpath with the server 30.

[0167] Then, the information processing terminal 10 transfers the ISRCcode read in step S121 and the hash value obtained in step S123 to theserver 30 side, and requests an investigation of the CD (step S127).

[0168] In response to the CD investigation request, the server 30 sidesearches the database therein based on the ISRC code and judges whetheror not the record exists therein, and further judges whether or not thehash value thereof matches, and returns the results thereof to theinformation processing terminal 10 (Step S128).

[0169] At the information processing terminal 10 side, judgment is maderegarding whether or not copying to the portable device 20 ispermissible or not, based on the response from the server 30 side.

[0170] In the event that the contents of the reply indicate that therecord of interest exists within the database (step S129), this meansthat the CD mounted has been registered to the database and the datainserted by electronic watermark is known, so screening, i.e., theelectronic watermark detection processing, can be omitted. In this case,only judgment whether or not copying is permissible from the CD isperformed (steps S130, S131). In the event that the registered CDpermits only one copy to be made, a check should be made in step S130regarding whether or not the media mounted is a CD-R.

[0171] In the event that copying is permissible, the remaining processesof compression processing, which are quantization and Huffman encodingare performed (step S132). The compressed data is further enciphered,and then copying to the portable device 20 is executed (step S133). Onthe other hand, in the event that copying is not permissible, the flowproceeds to step S134, and the copying process is cancelled.

[0172] On the other hand, in the event that the judgment in step S129indicates that the record of interest does not exist in the database atthe server 30 side, i.e., that the CD mounted is not a registered CD,there is no other option but to perform screening, i.e., electronicwatermark detection processing (step S135).

[0173] In the event that the results of electronic watermark detectionand of judgment regarding whether or not copying is permissible indicatethat copying is permissible, the remaining processes of compressionprocessing, which are quantization and Huffman encoding are performed(step S132). The compressed data is further enciphered, and then copyingto the portable device 20 is executed (step S133). On the other hand, inthe event that copying is not permissible, the flow proceeds to stepS137, and the copying process is cancelled.

[0174] The music data copying functions on a information processingterminal 10 such as described above may be performed by a terminaldevice comprising dedicated hardware, but the present invention can alsobe installed on a common calculator system capable of general-purposeprocessing in the form of a contents copy application described in acomputer-readable format for executing the processing procedures shownin the flowcharts in FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 10.

[0175]FIG. 11 is a systematic representation of the configuration of acalculator system 100 capable of realizing the information processingterminal 10 according to the present invention. The components of thesystem 100 will now be described with reference to the figure.

[0176] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 which is the maincontroller of the system 100 executes various types of applicationsunder control of an operating system. The CPU 101 can, for example,execute a contents copy application wherein the processing proceduresshown in the flowcharts in FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 10 are described in acomputer-readable format. As shown in the figure, the CPU 101 ismutually connected with other equipment (described later) via a bus 108.

[0177] Memory 102 serves as a storing device used for storing programcode to be executed by the CPU 101, or temporarily saving work databeing executed by the program. The memory 102 shown in the figure shouldbe understood to include both non-volatile memory and volatile memory.

[0178] A display controller 103 is provided to serve as a dedicatedcontroller for actually processing drawing commands issued by the CPU101. The drawing data processed by the display controller 103 istemporarily written to a frame buffer (not shown) for example, and thenoutput to a screen by a display 111.

[0179] An input device interface 104 is provided to serve as a devicefor connecting user input devices such as a keyboard 112, mouse 113,etc., to the calculator system 100.

[0180] A network interface 105 is provided to connect the system 100 tolocal networks such as a LAN (Local Area Network) and further towide-area networks such as the Internet, according to predeterminedcommunication protocols such as Ethernet or the like.

[0181] On the network, multiple host terminals (not shown) are connectedin a transparent state, thus realizing the architecture for a dispersedcomputing environment. The calculator system 100 and the server 30 canbe connected via network, thereby making database inquiry to the server30. Also, software programs, data contents, and the like, can bedistributed over the network. For example, contents copy applications,wherein the processing procedures shown in the flowcharts in FIGS. 3, 5,7, and 10 are described in a computer-readable format, can be downloadedto the calculator system 100 via network.

[0182] An external device interface 107 is provided to serve as a devicefor connecting external devices such as a hard disk drive (HDD) 114,media drive 115, etc., to the system 100.

[0183] The HDD 114 is an external storage device with a magnetic diskserving as a storage carrier fixedly mounted therein (a known art), andis superior to other external storage devices from the perspective ofstorage capacity, data transfer speed, and so forth. Placing softwareprograms on the HDD 114 in a computer-executable manner is referred toas “installing” the programs. Normally, the program code for theoperating system, application programs, device drivers, etc., to beexecuted by the CPU 101, are stored therein in a non-volatile manner.

[0184] For example, contents copy applications wherein the processingprocedures shown in the flowcharts in FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 10 aredescribed in a computer-readable format can be installed on the HDD 114.Also, music data to be copied can be temporarily saved on the HDD 114.Music data read out from recording media such as CDs is saved on the HDD114 as, for example, WAV format computer files.

[0185] The media drive 115 is a device to which portable media such asCDs (Compact Disks), MOs (Magneto-Optical disks), DVDs (DigitalVersatile Disks), etc., are loaded, thereby accessing the data recordingsurface(s) thereof.

[0186] Portable media is mainly used to backup software programs or datafiles or the like as data in computer-readable formats, and to movethese between systems (which includes selling and distributing). Forexample, contents copy applications wherein the processing proceduresshown in the flowcharts in FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 10 are described in acomputer-readable format can be physically distributed between multipledevices using such portable media. Also, music data to be copied can bephysically distributed between multiple devices using such portablemedia.

[0187] An example of a calculator system 100 such as shown in FIG. 11 isan IBM personal computer “PC/AT (Personal Computer/Advanced Technology)”compatible model or a later model thereof, for example. Of course,computers with other architectures can be applied to the calculatorsystem 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0188] Also, though the above-described music data copy controlfunctions and vicarious electronic watermark detecting functionsperformed by the server 30 may be realized by a terminal device having adedicated hardware configuration, the present invention can also berealized by executing contents copy control and vicarious electronicwatermark detecting server applications wherein the processingprocedures shown in the flowcharts in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8 are described ina computer-readable format.

[0189]FIG. 12 is a systematic representation of the hardwareconfiguration of a calculator system 200 which can realize the server 30according to the present invention. The components of the system 200will now be described with reference to the figure.

[0190] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 which is the maincontroller of the system 200 executes various types of applicationsunder control of an operating system. The CPU 201 can, for example,execute a contents copy application wherein the processing proceduresshown in the flowcharts in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8 are described in acomputer-readable format. As shown in the figure, the CPU 201 ismutually connected with other equipment (described later) via a bus 208.

[0191] Memory 202 serves as a storing device used for storing programcode to be executed by the CPU 201, or temporarily saving work databeing executed by the program. The memory 202 shown in the figure shouldbe understood to include both non-volatile memory and volatile memory.

[0192] A display controller 203 is provided to serve as a dedicatedcontroller for actually processing drawing commands issued by the CPU201. The drawing data processed by the display controller 203 istemporarily written to a frame buffer (not shown) for example, and thenoutput to a screen by a display 211.

[0193] An input device interface 204 is provided to serve as a devicefor connecting user input devices such as a keyboard 212, mouse 213,etc., to the calculator system 200.

[0194] A network interface 205 is provided to connect the system 200 tolocal networks such as a LAN (Local Area Network) and further towide-area networks such as the Internet, according to predeterminedcommunication protocols such as Ethernet or the like.

[0195] On the network, multiple host terminals (not shown) are connectedin a transparent state, thus realizing the architecture for a dispersedcomputing environment. The calculator system 200 and the informationprocessing terminal 10 can be connected via network, thereby receivingdatabase inquiries from the information processing terminal 10. Also,software programs, data contents, and the like, can be distributed overthe network. For example, contents copy applications and vicariouselectronic watermark detecting server applications wherein theprocessing procedures shown in the flowcharts in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8 aredescribed in a computer-readable format, can be downloaded to thecalculator system 200 via network. Further, music data to be copied andthe like can be distributed via network.

[0196] An external device interface 207 is provided to serve as a devicefor connecting external devices such as a hard disk drive (HDD) 214 forconfiguring a database to the system 200.

[0197] The HDD 214 is an external storage device with a magnetic diskserving as a storage carrier fixedly mounted therein (a known art), andis superior to other external storage devices from the perspective ofstorage capacity, data transfer speed, and so forth. Placing softwareprograms on the HDD 214 in a computer-executable manner is referred toas “installing” the programs. Normally, the program code for theoperating system, application programs, device drivers, etc., to beexecuted by the CPU 201, are stored therein in a nonvolatile manner. Forexample, contents copy applications wherein the processing proceduresshown in the flowcharts in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8 are described in acomputer-readable format can be installed on the HDD 214.

[0198] An example of a calculator system 200 such as shown in FIG. 12 isan IBM personal computer “PC/AT (Personal Computer/Advanced Technology)”compatible model or a later model thereof, for example. Of course,computers with other architectures can be applied to the calculatorsystem 200 according to the present embodiment.

[0199] The present invention has so far been described with reference tospecific embodiments. However, it is selfevident that those skilled inthe art can make variations and substitutions of the embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0200] Though the embodiments have been described with reference to anexample wherein music data recorded on a CD is to be copied, theapplicable range of the present invention is by no means restricted tothis; rather, the present invention exhibits similar advantages forother data contents such as pictures or still images, and for data readfrom other recording media such as DVDs or MDs.

[0201] That is to say, the above description of the present inventionhas been a illustrative disclosure of the present invention, and is notbe to interpreted restrictively. Any interpretations of the essence ofthe present invention should take the appended claims intoconsideration.

[0202] Thus, according to the present invention, an excellent electronicwatermark detecting technology, capable of detecting electronicwatermarks embedded in contents, can be provided. Also, an excellentelectronic watermark detecting technology, capable of judging whether ornot duplicating contents is permissible, according to detectedelectronic watermarks embedded in the contents, can be provided.Further, an excellent electronic watermark detecting technology, capableof vicariously performing electronic watermark inspecting processingwith heavy computation loads, so as to judge whether or not duplicatingcontents is permissible, thereby reducing the time required for theoverall copying operation, can be provided.

[0203] The present invention has been arranged such that the calculatorsystem for performing duplication of contents does not necessarilyperform screening, i.e., electronic watermark detection, with contentscopy control information being obtainable by other means. For example,in the event of copying a CD regarding which it is known beforehand thatthere is no electronic watermark inserted in the contents, theelectronic watermark detection processing itself can be skipped as longas the CD can be confirmed to be such, thereby reducing the amount oftime necessary for copying.

[0204] That is to say, there is no need to detect electronic watermarksfrom the data, so processing time is reduced, and ease of use improves.

[0205] Also, even with cases of detecting electronic watermarks, thereis no need to perform detection over the entirety of the contents,(e.g., music piece), so processing time is reduced, and ease of useimproves.

[0206] Although the invention herein has been described with referenceto particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodimentsare merely illustrative of the principles and applications of thepresent invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerousmodifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that otherarrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

1. A system for managing the copying of contents to external equipment,said system comprising: a first reader operable to read in contents tobe copied; a second reader operable to read in identificationinformation of said contents; a database storing information regardingwhether copying is permissible for each of said contents; an electronicwatermark inspecting unit operable to inspect electronic watermarksinserted into said contents and to produce inspection results; and acontroller operable to control copying of said contents to the externalequipment; wherein said controller searches said database based on atleast one of said identification information and attribute informationof said contents, and in the event that a matching record exists,controls copying according to the content of said matching record, andin the event that a matching record does not exist, controls copyingaccording to said inspection results.
 2. A system according to claim 1,wherein said controller is operable to compress and encipher saidcontents and to then copy said contents to the external equipment.
 3. Asystem according to claim 1, wherein said controller and said databaseare connected to one another via a safe communication path.
 4. A systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said attribute information is datacomprising at least a part of said contents that has been clipped.
 5. Asystem according to claim 1, wherein said attribute information is ahash value for at least a part of said contents.
 6. A system accordingto claim 1, wherein said attribute information is selected from acharacteristic value and a characteristic quantity relating to saidcontents.
 7. A method for managing copying of contents to externalequipment, comprising: reading in contents to be copied; reading inidentification information of said contents; maintaining a database ofinformation regarding whether copying is permissible for each of saidcontents; searching said database based on at least one of saididentification information and attribute information of said contents;and in the event that a matching record exists in said database,controlling copying according to the content of said matching record,and, in the event that a matching record does not exist in saiddatabase, inspecting said contents for an electronic watermark insertedtherein to produce inspection results, and controlling copying accordingto said inspection results.
 8. A method according to claim 7, whereinsaid steps of controlling copying include compressing and encipheringsaid contents and then copying said contents to said external equipment.9. A method according to claim 7, wherein said database searching stepis performed via a safe communication path.
 10. A method according toclaim 7, wherein said attribute information is data comprising at leasta part of said contents that has been clipped.
 11. A method according toclaim 7, wherein said attribute information is a hash value for at leasta part of said contents.
 12. A method according to claim 7, wherein saidattribute information is selected from a characteristic value and acharacteristic quantity relating to said contents.
 13. An informationprocessing device for executing copying of contents to externalequipment, said device comprising: a first reader operable to read incontents to be copied; a second reader operable to read inidentification information of said contents; an electronic watermarkinspecting unit operable to inspect electronic watermarks inserted intosaid contents and to produce inspection results; and a controlleroperable to communicate with an external server and to control copyingof said contents to the external equipment; wherein said controllermakes inquiry to the external server based on at least one of saididentification information and attribute information of said contents,and, according to the inquiry results, either executes copying of saidcontents, or inspects said contents with said electronic watermarkinspecting unit and controls copying according to said inspectionresults.
 14. An information processing device according to claim 13,wherein said controller is operable to compress and encipher saidcontents and to copy said contents to the external equipment.
 15. Aninformation processing device according to claim 13, wherein thecommunication between the controller and the external server is made viaa safe communication path.
 16. An information processing deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein said attribute information is datacomprising at least a part of said contents that has been clipped. 17.An information processing device according to claim 13, wherein saidattribute information is a hash value for at least a part of saidcontents.
 18. An information processing device according to claim 13,wherein said attribute information is selected from a characteristicvalue and a characteristic quantity relating to said contents.
 19. Amethod for executing copying of contents to external equipment,comprising: reading in contents to be copied; reading in identificationinformation of said contents; making inquiry to an external server basedon at least one of said identification information and attributeinformation of said contents; and according to the inquiry results,either copying said contents, or inspecting said contents for anelectronic watermark inserted therein to produce inspection results, andcontrolling copying according to said inspection results.
 20. Aninformation processing method according to claim 19, wherein said stepsof controlling copying include compressing and enciphering said contentsand then copying said contents to said external equipment.
 21. Aninformation processing method according to claim 19, wherein saidinquiry to said external server is made via a safe communication path.22. An information processing method according to claim 19, wherein saidattribute information is data comprising at least a part of saidcontents that has been clipped.
 23. An information processing methodaccording to claim 19, wherein said attribute information is a hashvalue for at least a part of said contents.
 24. An informationprocessing method according to claim 19, wherein said attributeinformation is selected from a characteristic value and a characteristicquantity relating to said contents.
 25. A server for managing copying ofcontents, said server comprising: a database which can be searched basedon at least one of identification information and attribute informationfor contents; a receiver operable to receive inquiries regarding whethercopying of said contents is permitted; searching means for searchingsaid database in response to said inquiries to obtain search results;and a transmitter operable to transmit said search results to inquiringparties.
 26. A server according to claim 25, wherein said transmittertransmits said search results to said inquiring parties via a safecommunication path.
 27. A server according to claim 25, wherein saidattribute information is data comprising at least a part of saidcontents that has been clipped.
 28. A server according to claim 25,wherein said attribute information is a hash value for at least a partof said contents.
 29. A server according to claim 25, wherein saidattribute information is selected from a characteristic value and acharacteristic quantity relating to said contents.
 30. A recordingmedium recorded with a computer readable program for managing copying ofcontents to external equipment, said program comprising: reading incontents to be copied; reading in identification information of saidcontents; obtaining attribute information of said contents; maintaininga database of information regarding whether copying is permissible foreach of said contents; searching said database based on at least one ofsaid identification information and said attribute information; and inthe event that a matching record exists in said database, controllingcopying according to the content of said matching record, and, in theevent that a matching record does not exist in said database, inspectingsaid contents for an electronic watermark inserted therein to produceinspection results, and controlling copying according to said inspectionresults.
 31. A recording medium according to claim 30, wherein saidattribute information is data comprising at least a part of saidcontents that has been clipped.
 32. A recording medium according toclaim 30, wherein said attribute information is a hash value for atleast a part of said contents.
 33. A recording medium according to claim30, wherein said attribute information is selected from a characteristicvalue and a characteristic quantity relating to said contents.
 34. Arecording medium recorded with a computer readable program for executingcopying of contents to external equipment, said program comprising:reading in contents to be copied; reading in identification informationof said contents; obtaining attribute information of said contents;making inquiry to an external server based on at least one of saididentification information and said attribute information of saidcontents; and according to the inquiry results, either copying saidcontents, or inspecting said contents for an electronic watermarkinserted therein to produce inspection results, and controlling copyingaccording to said inspection results.
 35. A recording medium accordingto claim 34, wherein said attribute information is data comprising atleast a part of said contents that has been clipped.
 36. A recordingmedium according to claim 34, wherein said attribute information is ahash value for at least a part of said contents.
 37. A recording mediumaccording to claim 34, wherein said attribute information is selectedfrom a characteristic value and a characteristic quantity relating tosaid contents.
 38. A system for managing copying of contents to externalequipment, said system comprising: a first reader operable to read incontents to be copied; a second reader operable to read inidentification information of said contents; a database storinginformation regarding whether copying is permissible for each of saidcontents; an electronic watermark inspecting unit operable to inspectelectronic watermarks inserted into said contents and to produceinspection results; an orthogonal conversion unit operable to performorthogonal conversion of said contents to produce converted contents; anencoding compression unit operable to subject said converted contents toquantization and Huffman encoding to produce encoded and compressedcontents; an enciphering unit operable to encipher said encoded andcompressed contents to produce enciphered contents; and a controlleroperable to control copying of said enciphered contents to the externalequipment; wherein said controller searches said database based on atleast one of said identification information and an orthogonalconversion value of said contents or a hash value thereof, and, in theevent that a matching record exists, controls copying of said encipheredcontents according to the content of said matching record, and, in theevent that a matching record does not exist, controls copying of saidenciphered contents according to said inspection results.
 39. A methodfor managing copying of contents to external equipment, said methodcomprising: reading in contents to be copied; reading in identificationinformation of said contents; performing orthogonal conversion of saidcontents to produce converted contents; subjecting said convertedcontents to quantization and Huffman encoding to produce encoded andcompressed contents; enciphering said encoded and compressed contents toproduced enciphered contents; maintaining a database of informationregarding whether copying is permissible for each of said contents;searching said database based on at least one of said identificationinformation and an orthogonal conversion value of said contents or ahash value thereof; and in the event that a matching record exists insaid database, controlling copying of said enciphered contents accordingto the content of said matching record, and, in the event that amatching record does not exist in said database, inspecting saidcontents for an electronic watermark inserted therein to produceinspection results, and controlling copying of said enciphered contentsaccording to said inspection results.
 40. An information processingdevice for executing copying of contents to external equipment, saiddevice comprising: a first reader operable to read in contents to becopied; a second reader operable to read in identification informationof said contents; an electronic watermark inspecting unit operable toinspect electronic watermarks inserted into said contents and to produceinspection results; an orthogonal conversion unit operable to performorthogonal conversion of said contents to produce converted contents; anencoding compression unit operable to subject said converted contents toquantization and Huffman encoding to produce encoded and compressedcontents; an enciphering unit operable to encipher said encoded andcompressed contents to produce enciphered contents; and a controlleroperable to control copying of said enciphered contents to the externalequipment; wherein said controller makes inquiry to an external serverbased on at least one of said identification information and anorthogonal conversion value of said contents or a hash value thereof,and, according to the inquiry results, either copies said encipheredcontents, or controls copying of said enciphered contents according tosaid inspection results.
 41. An information processing method forexecuting copying of contents to external equipment, said methodcomprising: reading in contents to be copied; reading in identificationinformation of said contents; performing orthogonal conversion of saidcontents to produce converted contents; subjecting said convertedcontents to quantization and Huffman encoding to produce encoded andcompressed contents; enciphering said encoded and compressed contents toproduce enciphered contents; making inquiry to an external server basedon at least one of said identification information and an orthogonalconversion value of said contents or a hash value thereof; and accordingto said inquiry results, either copying said enciphered contents, orinspecting said contents for an electronic watermark inserted therein toproduce inspection results, and controlling copying of said encipheredcontents according to said inspection results.